How to Bounce Back from Achilles Tendonopathy
How to Bounce Back from Achilles Tendonopathy
By: Martha Theirl, PT, DPT, Cert-CFMA
Achilles tendonopathy has long been the achilles heel (see what I did there!?) of foot and ankle injuries. Let’s take a dive into the three phases of tendonopathy rehabilitation and how to get that pain free bounce back in your step.
*As always, this article is meant to be educational content and not medical advice. If you would like to work with Martha, schedule here for your free 20 minute consultation or directly for your evaluation. Please consult your licensed medical professional before starting an exercise program or for individualized guidance.
Phase One: Diagnosis
Firstly, a correct diagnosis is always paramount. Also, understanding how the tendon became inflamed is important to ensure a resolution that is long lasting, not just temporary symptom management. Being assessed by a Physical Therapist will allow you to look at how you are moving both locally at the foot and ankle, and globally into the knee, hip, lower back, and core.
There are two types of Achilles Tendonopathy:
Mid-Portion: along the achilles tendon 2-6cm above the heel bone (calcaneus) insertion and is the most common
Insertional: lower toward the insertion of the achilles and may cause pain down into the heel on the bottom of the foot.
Typical Presentation:
Tenderness to palpation on achilles tendon (mid-portion) or heel (insertional)
Worse with increasing tendon load (hopping, running)
“Warms up” with activity
Pain with initial steps in the morning- can last anywhere from 5-30 minutes
Decreased function- having to decrease or stop running, decrease range of motion or regress to step ups vs. box jumps
Minimal pain at rest
Risk Factors
Decreased strength of calf muscles
Deficits in hip neuromuscular control
Decreased ankle mobility, specifically dorsiflexion (toes toward head)
Increased foot pronation
Increased body weight
Sudden changes in training type or volume
Phase Two: Load Management
The purpose of this phase is to stop the inflammatory process and begin to heal and strengthen the tendon. When deciding how to load and progress a tendonopathy, it’s best to look at the severity and current load tolerance. We use a stoplight system and look for the following things:
1. Symptoms not above a 5/10 during exercise/activity
2. Returns to baseline within 24hrs
3. No sharp or shooting pain
Having pain during exercise does not mean that you are doing more damage, and can be effective in the recovery process when properly controlled.
We know that calf and soleus raises are vital in the recovery of achilles tendonopathy. Other considerations include the volume of movements. While adding a few cleans to a workout may be OK, doing too many reps causing you to come onto your toes may increase the achilles pain.
You can and certainly should continue to exercise during this rehabilitation period! Your activities may need to be modified, and a return to full activity status will be part of your plan! We meet you where you are and move forward from there.
It may be helpful to think of load management as a series of levels.
Level One: Isometrics, double leg heel raises, soleus raises
Level Two: Eccentrics, increased range of motion to deficit heel raises, walking, single leg heel raises
Level Three: Introduction of rebounding and pogo hopping
Level Four: Plyometrics, speed, and agility, single leg hopping, running
Phase Three: Reintroduction and Plyometrics
As you are feeling better and becoming more confident, you will be able to return to running and explosive jumping. For running- it’s best to start on a level surface as hills promote more force through the calf. It may also be suggested that you raise your step cadence by 5% to increase your step frequency and decrease your ground reaction force. For jumping, start with standing pogo jumps and progress to single leg hops and explosive jumps as you are able.
Progress is different for everyone, and it’s important to understand the underlying cause of the tendonopathy to keep it from coming back again! If you have been struggling with achilles tendonopathy, email me to set up a consultation and get that bounce back in your step!